Orlando, FL – On May 25, family, loved ones, and the community of gathered for a press conference to demand justice for Tyrone Bartley – a 32 year old who was shot and killed in his own home by Orange County deputies during a botched SWAT raid on the afternoon of May 16.
The press conference, organized by Orlando Against Police Crimes, sought to correct the police narrative and hear directly from the family and other tenants of the house.
Saint Paul, MN – A crowd gathered outside the building that houses the state of Minnesota Department of Corrections to support the calls to “Free Cornelius Jackson. Free Nico Redding. Free them all!” The May 28 protest and press conference was organized by the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council MN (WIAOSFC).
Saint Paul, MN – With Governor Tim Walz and legislators huddled behind closed doors making deals for a looming legislative special session, around 50 people from the immigrant rights movement protested May 27 at Walz’s office in the State Capitol. The protest was in response to Governor Walz and legislative leaders announcing that they intend to pass a budget that takes away access to health care from adult immigrants in the state.
Minneapolis, MN – An online event to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) is set for Thursday, May 29, at 5:00pm Pacific, 6:00pm Mountain, 7:00pm Central, 8:00pm Eastern time.
Founded in 1985, FRSO emerged from the New Communist Movement and is now the leading Marxist-Leninist organization in the U.S.
Santa Ana, CA – On Tuesday, May 20, about 20 community members and activists filled the city council chambers to demand transparency from Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) regarding alerts they have received from ICE. They also called for the jailing of Noe Rodriguez’s killers.
An article from journalist Ben Camacho published earlier this month revealed that SAPD received notifications from ICE/DHS that they would be present in the city at least 42 times since Trump’s inauguration. SAPD did not share this information with the public, despite being asked by council members and police oversight commissioners multiple times about communications with ICE. An item was presented at the city council meeting to implement a policy requiring SAPD to disclose these ICE alerts to residents.
Minneapolis, MN – But wait there’s more! After the final count, we kept climbing and obliterated our goal. $181,000 was raised in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization $100K fund drive. That means we can put even more money into paying down the mortgage than we had planned. This victory belongs to all of us and is a loud and proud declaration that we are building something real and can exceed even our own expectations.
Santa Ana, CA – On Sunday, May 18, about 30 protesters marched on the Santa Ana Police Department to demand the jailing of officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra for the murder of Noe Rodriguez and for SAPD to immediately make public any ICE and DHS alerts they receive.
Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) independently obtained the names and body camera footage of the officers who killed Noe Rodriguez through a Public Records Act Request since this information was never shared with the family of Rodriguez. In that footage it can be seen that officer Casillas shot Rodriguez 18 times and officer Ibarra shot him 11 times.
The final numbers are in, and the results are truly something to be proud of. All in all, we raised $173,000! Thanks to the contributions from comrades and supporters, we didn’t just meet our $100,000 goal—with discipline and determination, we blew way past it.
This tidal wave of support comes at a critical moment. Trump and the billionaires are escalating their attacks on workers, immigrants and oppressed people. We are not only building the struggle, but at the same time protecting what we’ve built, expanding our capacity, and gearing up for even bigger fights ahead.
Reactionary forces are rallying to enable police violence and to undermine the accountability that has been hard won through struggle. Minnesota authorities are now appealing for calm if Trump decides to pardon Derek Chauvin, the convicted murderer of George Floyd.
The idea of a federal pardon for Chauvin, whose conviction was only secured after millions flooded the streets in 2020, would spit in the face of the movement that forced a reckoning with police crimes. All those who stand for justice and believe Black lives matter should be on alert. If it happens, this pardon must be met with mass resistance.
Grand Rapids, MI – On Thursday, May 8, over 100 activists and community members gathered outside the Kent County 17th Circuit Court to stand in solidarity, outrage and mourning with the family of Patrick Lyoya, an unarmed black man and Congolese immigrant who was killed in a 2022 traffic stop by the Grand Rapids Police Officer Christopher Schurr.
After years of waiting for justice while Christopher Schurr walked free of consequences, the prosecutor’s office finally put Schurr on trial for murder. But after days of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a verdict, and a mistrial was declared by the judge.
In response to the news, protesters took to the streets to demand a retrial and justice for Patrick and his family.
Milwaukee, WI – On May 10, dozens of people picketed outside the Women’s Care Center on Milwaukee’s South Side, demanding an end to the deceptive “care” it provides. This facility is one of nine crisis pregnancy centers located in Milwaukee. Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are fake clinics that masquerade as facilities offering “all-option” pregnancy counseling, free ultrasounds, and pregnancy testing. However, they often lack trained medical staff and do not adhere to confidentiality regulations.
New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, May 6, New Orleans supporters packed the court for community activist Toni Jones’ trial in municipal court. Jones is chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police and a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. She was arrested while doing security for a Palestine protest over a year ago.
New Brunswick, NJ – On Tuesday, April 29, Rutgers Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally against a speaking event hosted by Rutgers Hillel. The speech was part of “Israel Week,” a series of events intended to justify and celebrate the ongoing genocide and occupation of Palestine., New Jersey U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, a staunch Zionist and supporter of Israel’s war crimes, was invited to meet with students that day.
Chicago IL – Over 35,000 immigrants and their supporters filled the streets of Chicago on May 1, demanding an end to Trump’s attacks on immigrants and workers.
Led by the Consejo de Resistencia en Defensa del Inmigrante, the mass rally brought together over 150 organizations, mostly composed of Latino, Arab and Palestinian, Filipino and Korean immigrants and their supporters.
Consejo inherited the legacy of the March 10th Movement of 2006. That year, Chicago staged the first mega march in the country, with 300,000 marchers against the racist Sensenbrenner Bill, which would have made it a felony to be undocumented.
Minneapolis, MN – The Freedom Road Socialist Organization’s $100K Fund Drive has not only met its goal but surpassed it, with $104,600 raised and still climbing as we enter the final stretch. This is what revolutionary commitment looks like!
Fullerton, CA – On April 27, over 30 family members, Orange County residents and activists gathered at Lemon Park to grieve for Jose Naranjo-Cortez, who was killed by Fullerton Police Department on April 20.
The vigil was organized by Jose Naranjo-Cortez’s family and Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) a grassroots, working-class group that fights for community control of the police.
Milwaukee, WI – On a bright Saturday afternoon, a crowd of 1500 arrived outside of the FBI office to protest Friday’s arrest of Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan. Dugan was arrested by FBI agents after allegations of “obstruction of justice” during ICE’s attempted apprehensions of people inside the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
As details of her arrest and the charges are publicly revealed, it is becoming clear that the Trump administration and Kash Patel’s FBI sought to send a clear message to all people – comply or face the consequences. Dugan, according to reports, acted well within her rights and responsibilities as a representative of the judiciary branch, and her request of the ICE agents to produce a judicial warrant to enter a private space inside Milwaukee County Courthouse is not a crime.
Minneapolis, MN – At the April 24 Freedom Road Socialist Organization fundraiser, something remarkable happened. Between the collections in-hand and pledged, the FRSO fundraiser is set to surpass $100,000!
We began the day with $65,000, and, in one night, comrades pledged $51,500, bringing us to pledges totaling $116,500 at this point.
As part of the 2025 $100k Fund Drive, Freedom Road Socialist Organization will be holding an online fundraising event on Thursday, April 24 at 7pm Central time (5pm Pacific, 6pm Mountain, and 8pm Eastern). The goal of the drive is to pay off the mortgage on the FRSO headquarters, securing it as an asset in building the struggle in these turbulent political times.
